Cemetery Friend
by Soskyler
Summary: Roxas had the ability to see the spirits of the deceased, but it's so clear to him, so real, that he never realized the difference between the ghosts and living beings.
1. Watching and Waiting

**A/N**

Hey, it's Sky again, your favorite fanfic writer... brick'd

(I know _everyone_ just _loves _me and my crappy sarcastic remarks...)

Well, here's the deal:

There may be some words considered profane by some, yaoi (BL/Shounen Ai), and stupid grammatical mistakes. BEWARE...

Disclaimer: ... Squeenix software, games, etc, would be VERY different... Be happy I DON'T own them, okay?

Enjoy and Ja ne till later!

**End A/N**

The year is Summer, 2013

A soft rustling was heard as a bundle of flowers in a plastic and paper wrapping was dropped onto the ground before a grave-marker. The flowers were white daffodils and tulips, along with a single red rose and a lone black rose. The colors were very peculiar for being a present for the grave… Around that one marker was brightly, happy colored flowers, hydrangeas, lilies, more tulips, pansies; eye-pleasing and fragrant flowers, in other words.

The figure just stood there, hand held out slightly, above the grave from where he dropped the bouquet, then looked up from the flowers, gaze lingering on the single black rose before traveling up to the sky - or more accurately, the window of the house in front of him, across the street.

Behind that window, a slightly tanned face grew slightly hot, and blue eyes averted to the passing cars, arms folded on the indoor-sill. He looked up through dark lashes, and, making sure the redhead in the cemetery had looked away, went back to observing him.

That lanky teen who always came to the cemetery fascinated Roxas to no end. He couldn't get enough of that puzzle he was sure surrounded him. Why always the monotone flowers…? Only black, white and red flowers…? And always the same kinds of flowers for each color. Never a red tulip, never a pink rose, never a yellow daffodil.

And the days the spiky-haired figure didn't bring flowers, he just stood there, staring at the grave, eyes slightly wide with anguish or fear. Mostly fear over the latter.

Roxas didn't understand why he was so scared of the grave, or why he always came back to it. He also didn't understand why no one else in the cemetery seemed bothered by the mini fits he'd throw on some days.

The blonde gasped when emerald eyes locked into his gaze, making him freeze. His body ceased taking orders from his brain, lungs stopping proper function for a few moments. At least today he wasn't looking tortured about it.

Next thing he knew, he was fumbling with the handle on the glass door at the front of his house, then walking across the street, dodging traffic and earning himself an earful of car horns.

But when he got to that grave, the lanky redhead was nowhere to be seen. Roxas spun around in a circle, searching desperately for those fiery red spikes. His gaze settled on the gravestone, reading the engraving.

'_Axel Hotaru_

_April 8, 1989 – August 13, 2008_

_Hope Your Fires Still Burn_

…

_Forever'_

"Axel…" Roxas whispered, bushing his fingers over the bold lettering. He snatched his hand back as an image of that redhead appeared behind his eyes. That was impossible… Everyone knew that ghosts didn't actually exist. It was all strings, smoke and mirrors… Illusionist's works…

He smiled at himself and shook his head, walking away from the grave. The blonde was almost laughing at his ridiculous assumptions as he crossed the street again, choosing a much safer time to run across.

When Roxas closed the glass door behind him, he got the funny feeling someone was watching him… Someone with bright green, cat-like eyes and fiery red hair… His head whipped around, blonde locks falling into his eyes, but not enough to effectively say no one was there… Not a single soul, and especially no one with red hair as fiery…

He chuckled at himself. Those Goosebumps books had to have gotten to his head. Roxas blinked, blue eyes glazing over slightly as he headed for the room with the window facing the street and cemetery.

That room was the dining room… Or, what used to be the dining room, really… Piles of papers cluttered the once visible fancy maple tabletop. Roxas moved some of the piles out of the way and put his laptop down on the surface he found below, and turning it on.

A little colony of papers on the far edge of the table decided to fall. Well, commit suicide may have been a more appropriate term. The papers fell in all directions, some larger groups thudding to the floor.

Roxas ignored this little symphony of thuds, patters and whispy noises, attention completely on the computer. He clicked open the web browser, keyboarding in the Google website.

The blonde honestly had no clue as to what he was doing, and realized he was typing Axel Hotaru into the Google Search Engine. Only 6 hits… He clicked the first site. As the page was loading, Roxas read it was an obituary.

Of course… He was searching a dead guy, wasn't he?

The browser page went white as the internet received the page's contents. Just as the background layout appeared, the laptop's screen went black. Roxas blinked rapidly at the machine in front of him, mouth dropping open.

Apparently, his laptop has just ran out of power… The blonde fumbled around, looking for the charger cable.

"Damn… Where is it…?" He lifted a few more papers, causing more to join those sprawled over the floor. Roxas stormed out of the once-dining room, and proceeded to search the other rooms in the flat.

After a few not-so-healthy sounding crashes and bangs, the blonde came back into the dining room, holding the charger cord for the laptop. He froze in the doorway though, staring at the floor.

The mess of papers was gone. Every single one was restacked on the table, and each pile was neatened up, the laptop was placed on the chair and closed. As he finally walked into the room, he realized it smelt a little like cinnamon. He looked over the careful piles, breaths shallow. There was one paper missing… A paper he'd written about himself one lazy afternoon. Roxas closed his eyes, deciding he liked that warm cinnamon smell, and plugged the laptop into the outlet via cable.

He knew the laptop took a while to charge and was really slow when charging, so instead of continuing his spontaneous web search on the laptop, he grabbed his wallet, and headed out.

Impulsively, Roxas looked up at the graveyard. The redhead was back, barely visible. His red hair caught the dying rays of light from the sinking sun, making it look all the more ablaze.

From the distance he was at, the blonde had a little trouble seeing details, but thought he saw a piece of paper in his hands. The lanky redhead seemed to be reading the sheet he held, sitting on the corner of the grave-marker he always visited.

Roxas smiled softly, then turned around and went back into his flat just as the sun completely disappeared behind the trees. Street lamps slowly flickered on, illuminating the streets.

The blonde sighed, walking through the 'dining room' to his bedroom. There was also a window facing the cemetery in this room, but was covered by sheen, white drapes.

He threw on a grey and white tee and long grey shorts, slipping into bed. The last thing he thought about before drifting to sleep was the fiery light in that redhead's hair.

And for the next few days of summer vacation, Roxas just lounged around by the window in the 'dining room.'

**A/N**

Annnddddd... End Chapter one.

Comments are much appreciated.

**End A/N**


	2. Black, White and Red

**A/N**

And so, Chapter two begins! :3

Disclaimer: Sure... How much does it cost again...? -brick'd-

**End A/N**

It was a Thursday morning, about 10:30 or so, when Roxas realized he hadn't seen the redhead in the cemetery for three days. He felt a slight pang in his gut, but dismissed it as hunger. However, he picked up his wallet and headed out, walking along the sidewalk.

He walked into a floral shop down the road, almost on his own accord. Roxas looked through the window, wondering if they'd have the odd flowers in those certain colorations… White daffodil, tulip, red rose, and a black rose too.

Roxas stepped into the shop, hit with the strong floral fragrances. Right away he spotted the roses, and went to them first. Honestly, he'd thought a real black rose never existed… Seems genetic engineering brought along a dark pigment in roses. He chose the healthiest looking red rose from the bunches, along with one from the few blacks.

Daffodils and tulips next… Around the pedestal where the roses were, around the back of it, was where the aforementioned flowers were.

Roxas sorted through all the picked daffodils, finally choosing one of the white ones, of course.

Last, the tulip. He couldn't find a white one anywhere, and sought the help of the girl at the cashier.

"Do you carry white tulips…?" The blonde asked, gingerly holding the flowers he'd already chosen.

"… Sir…?" She quirked a brow and looked at Roxas as if he was crazy.

He sighed dejectedly. "A white… Oh nevermind…" Roxas looked off to the side and started to turn away.

"Don't you want me to ring those up for you?"

"No, not yet, thank you…" Roxas's gaze fell upon a rack of flowers that were a fiery red and orange color. He read the sign hanging from one of the flowers. 'Fire Flower.' How original.

Roxas liked how the flower reminded him of a certain – absent – teen who was usually at the cemetery… He chose one that seemed a little brighter than the others, with fuller, larger petals, and warmer, stronger colors, fading slightly jaggedly from red to orange-yellow at the center.

Now he returned to the counter. "I'll take these," Roxas set the flowers gently on the counter.

The girl smiled slightly as she punched in a few keys on the keyboard, then tapped the touch screen monitor. "Would you like them wrapped?"

"Yes… Just plastic, please," He replied, taking out his wallet to pay her the allotted amount.

"Fifteen forty-five is your total," She answered sweetly, rolling a perforated plastic sheet around the stems of the flowers.

Roxas placed the money on the counter in exchange for the flowers. "Thanks," He nodded, walking out the door, holding the flowers against his shoulder.

Still no green-eyed redhead at the cemetery. Roxas felt a little put off at this, but walked up to that gravestone with the flowers.

He felt like he should say something before putting the flowers on the ground before the stone, and stood there thinking for a bit.

"Um… Sorry I couldn't get that white tulip…"

"Not a problem." A quiet voice interrupted him. "I like the new flower better," it continued.

Roxas almost dropped the flowers from the abruptness of the voice. "It's the cinnamon again…" He breathed, then finally turned around. The blonde's breathing faltered at the sight before him; the redhead was standing there, head cocked slightly to the side, a slight smirk on his face.

"… Y-you do…?" The blonde looked away. "It reminded me of you," Roxas explained.

The redhead seemed to falter for a few moments. "Wait a minute…"

Roxas looked up, slightly confused.

"You can see me…?" His emerald eyes mirrored the blonde's puzzlement.

A nervous laugh left Roxas's lips. "I shouldn't be able to…?" He asked, unconsciously clutching the bouquet to his chest, blue eyes flickering over the redhead's features.

"I'm not blurry… Am I?"

Roxas shook his head. "No…" He looked down at the grave-marker, then back up to the redhead. The blonde did a double take. "Your flowers… But… They were for…" He gasped, staring at the lanky teen before him and shook his head vigorously, closing his eyes.

When Roxas opened them again, the redhead was still there. "Axel…" He murmured, falling to his knees, still staring up at the redhead, eyes wide and unfocused. The blonde reached out, fingers touching the older boy's ripped up jeans.

They were freezing cold compared to the summer weather. Roxas recoiled, falling back.

'Axel' knelt down, grabbing Roxas's arms before he fell all the way. Funny… His hands were much warmer than his clothes…

"Woah…"

As much as the common sense in the blonde's head told him to drop the flowers and run, get away, he couldn't. This redhead…

"You're…"

He wasn't…

"Gravestone…?"

Alive…

A shudder made Roxas shiver as 'Axel' pulled him back to his feet.

"Yeah… That's mine…" The redhead looked over Roxas's shoulder, down at the lettering on the stone. "Axel… That's me…"

"But…" The blonde protested, resting his hand flat against Axel's chest. "Shouldn't I just go… Right… Through…?" Each word he said became more detatched from the last.

In reply, Axel just shrugged. "You're the only one I know who can see me clearly…" He admitted, letting go of Roxas. Axel's hands still hovered around him in case he decided to fall again.

"Does… Does no one else see you…? I mean… To me… You look like anyone else…" Roxas looked around desperately, for an example. "To me… You look as real as that," He pointed towards to kids playing Frisbee in the street, and their mother sitting on the porch steps, opening an ice cream popsicle's plastic pouch; the kinds that the ice cream from the Ice Cream Man comes in.

Axel chuckled. "Guess that's pretty alive…"

Roxas laughed a little too, and took a step back, away from Axel.

He was wearing a grey shirt with an A.F.I. band logo on it and ripped up jeans along with a black studded belt and SKA style sneakers. The blonde looked back up, taking in Axel's up-side-down teardrop tattoos, reddish black liner around his eyes, and the little extra bit that swept up, purely red. And with that, the ear piercing that was hardly visible through his spiky fire-red hair.

Axel hardly looked like he'd ever stepped over that line between life and death. Involuntarily, Roxas remembered some of the disembodied people he'd seen at a military grave on a school field trip in ninth grade, stepping back to Axel, wanting to be close to someone. So those people must have been deceased…

Roxas held the flowers out to Axel, lip twitching until he started chewing on it. "Since I got these for your grave… You should have them… Axel…" He trailed off, hands shaking almost unnoticeably.

Axel put his hands over Roxas's as he slipped the bouquet from his fingers. He leaned down, whispering, "Thank you… Roxas…" He placed a folded paper in the blonde's hands in exchange for the flowers.

Roxas really liked how Axel sounded, breath ghosting over his ear, in a quiet whisper. He shivered again, but never felt warmer.

Axel turned and left, walking down the path to the street. Roxas looked down at the paper, and unfolded it. It was the paper he'd noticed was missing from the piles on the dining room table.

He wandered back to his flat, putting the paper onto one of the piles in the 'dining room.' It really wasn't that late… Probably only about 3 in the afternoon now… Roxas grabbed himself a snack that would pass for lunch, and headed for his room, flopping onto the bed with his food.

Roxas munched on the chips drowsily for a few moments, thinking about the latest events.

He suddenly sat up, stock-board straight.

Axel… Was dead… And Roxas realized he had a crush on him.

Roxas stared unseeingly at the window.

Vaguely, he realized the curtains were drawn and he could see the cemetery. Vaguely, he realized Axel was back at the cemetery, with what looked like a vase and a water bottle, with the flowers in the vase.

Vaguely, he realized his stomach was growling, and was clenched painfully for food.

Vaguely, he realized how many people he must've spoken to, shared jokes with, and played with when he was younger that may not have been alive…

Vaguely, he realized how amazingly hard this would be. How strange he must look to people who couldn't see what he saw… Who he saw… Who he heard… Who he knew… Who he had feelings for…

Ignoring his stomach's cries for food, he fell back down upon his bed, stared at the ceiling, and sorta fell into an open-eyed sleep.

**A/N**

**Comments and Crits much appreciated! -puts cookies down on a table- :3**

**End A/N**


	3. Love, Hate, Confusion or Intrigue?

For the next week of summer vacation, Roxas was quite a confused mess. Well, not exactly confused, just very dazed and definitely not quite alright.

At the moment, the blond was sitting in a small café, all the way across town, as far away from that cemetery as he could get on his own. He had a small mug of something obviously meant to be consumed when hot, though Roxas had failed to drink any, if at all.

He suddenly sort of came back, blinking rapidly and drinking the now lukewarm contents of the cup. Hmm, Vanilla Chai wasn't so bad at room temperature… Leaving the cup on the table, Roxas left the café, of course having paid once he got his drink when he first came in. Which had been, upon checking the clock on the towering building in the middle of the downtown district, about an hour and a half ago.

Ignoring the time, Roxas started on the lengthy walk back to his home. He didn't notice he was being followed at all, not that anyone else would've been able to notify the blond either. His 'stalker' wasn't exactly like anyone else in this town.

Axel's red spikes jounced slightly as he walked after Roxas, sometimes passing right through other pedestrians. Of course, not one to be boring, or to bore himself, he often skipped a little into the air, moving to walk atop the parked cars lining the side of the road.

Of course, his feet never really touched the sidewalk or cars for that matter. Axel just watched Roxas tread through the steadily thinning mass of people while the clock ticked steadily toward noon – the reason why many people started seeking shelter from the sun.

But Roxas? Roxas kept walking. And didn't look behind him at all. No matter how hard Axel stared at his back, the blond just kept moving. Why didn't the redhead say something? Like, '_oh hey, blondie, where've you been for the past week?_' Axel didn't really know himself why he remained silent.

Funny, he kept getting strange urges to start talking. Like someone was listening, waiting for him to say something. Roxas shook his head. Was he going crazy or something? Eh, but talking to himself didn't seem like a bad idea at all… He decided to fill the silence with off-key humming rather than speaking, though.

Roxas fished around in his pocket for his keys, then switched to the others. He hunted around in all of his pockets, a surprising few, actually. Where had his key gone? Oh crap, did he leave it in the house…? No, then the door would be unlocked. He grabbed at the handle anyway, and sure enough, it was locked. So he had to have brought it with him in order to lock the door in the first place.

And he was beyond sure he had his keys when he left the café, and while walking he knew as well, they were jingling in his pocket.

When had he realized he couldn't hear the soft sounds his keys made…? When he started humming of course.

Roxas slowly lifted his hands to the back of his head and rocked back on his heels. Just great. Oh this was perfectly grand. Amazing. He was about to turn around and go find an open window to scramble through. Usually the kitchen window was always open…

"Looking for these?"

The blond froze involuntarily, finally turning around. "Why would you-" Roxas suddenly lost his train of thought.

Indeed, there were his keys. And indeed, there was Axel. With his keys dangling from his fingers. He waved them in front of Roxas' face. "Well?"

"… Yes, I was looking for those." Flustered, he snatched the key ring from the redhead's hand and proceeded to fumble through the set. Roxas got the right key and slid it into the lock, then pushed open the door. "You thief, you stole them didn't you?" He turned around for the third time, one hand propped on his hip.

Roxas didn't care if he looked like he was talking to no one.

"Of course I did," Axel unashamedly replied, smiling with a childish light in his eyes.

The blond looked confused. So. Axel took his keys, but gave them back. First, he didn't even need keys, he was a ghost, so solid obstacles weren't obstacles anymore, and second, why give them back, or, third, take them in the first place if he intended to return them in the first place?

That puzzled expression lasted for quite some time as Roxas stepped in, unknowingly closing the door, literally, on Axel's face, who, of course, wasn't bothered much, and continued on through. "Is it okay if I invite myself in?"

Roxas didn't turn around as he answered with, "Yeah, not a problem. Not at all a problem." He went to the kitchen, followed by the redhead.

Oh look, a mostly cleared table was stationed against the wall, meant for two people. However, with the mess on the other side, there was only room for one person, Roxas. And soon, his keys landed in that empty space, along with his wallet.

"Do you hate me?"

"What?" Roxas was caught way off guard with that random question.

Lanky arms slipped around his neck, draped loosely over his shoulders.

"Do you hate me?" Axel repeated, his breath tickling over the blonde's neck, making Roxas shiver and lose his breath.

He took a deep inhale, trying to dislodge that mound building in the back of his throat. "N-no, I don't hate you," Roxas stuttered, a belated blush adorning his cheeks. "Why… do you think that?" He found it very hard to think well with Axel's warm breath against his skin.

The redhead squeezed his arms around Roxas' neck and chest slightly, then relaxed again, "Well, you never came to say hi… And I never caught you watching me, so I thought you came to hate me or something." Axel tilted his head slightly, Roxas could tell from how the angle of his breathing changed against the back of his neck. "And maybe that you found someone special, so I got curious and a little jealous and followed you around for a while," He finished.

Roxas tilted his head back, getting that blush under control, and a pretty steady breathing rate going as well. Now he could see Axel a little. "So you stalk me and steal my keys to get my attention?"

That made Axel fall silent for a little while longer. "Yep, sounds about right," He smiled. "And apparently, you haven't found anyone special-"

"You got _jealous_?! Why would you be worried that I found someone 'special'?" Roxas was halfway turned in Axel's arms, looking up to meet his gaze, blue eyes flashing. His incredulous tone was just too much in the redhead's mind, and doubled with the quizzical flicker in his bright eyes… Axel started chuckling, and then laughing.

Roxas was not as amused. He ducked out from under the redhead's arms and crossed his own loosely over his chest. "Okay then," the blond mumbled, closing his eyes and skirting the still laughing spirit, and slipped into his room.

He noted that closing the door was pointless, but did so anyway. And locked it for good, but futile measure. Then flopped back onto the messy bed.

"Hey, hey…!"

Roxas heard Axel's voice from the other side of the door.

"I didn't mean to make you mad, It's just…" The blond got a little interested when Axel trailed off.

He sat up a little, looking at the door. So the redhead had some manners, not just going and walking through the door. "Hmm? Just what?" Roxas' curiosity was overwhelming. He could imagine Axel on the other side of the closed door, scratching at the back of his neck a little.

He seemed to have kicked at the floor a little too. "Just that you looked really cute and… Yeah. Look can I come in now?" Axel seemed a little bit too eager to change the subject.

So… The redhead got flustered too – Roxas tucked that note away, and what triggered the sheepishness in his head for a later time. A light pink still heated his face though. "Sure you can."

"And thanks for using some manners," he added when Axel sort of drifted through the door.

Roxas watched as Axel's cheeks got a little stained with color. "I just noticed the door was locked an' all… Otherwise I would've just come in. Woah nice pad…" The redhead looked around as if taking in the room.

All in all, the room Roxas slept in was a little small and sparsely furnished, but very modern. After all, the blond was kind of a fan of those clean lines and blacks, whites and greys with the occasional splash of color, in most cases, red for the accent.

"Reminds me of my flowers," Axel murmured, making Roxas sit up all the way in his bed and look at him funny.

It took him a few moments to realize that Axel's flowers were black white and red normally. More remember than realize. Roxas laughed a little, not enjoying the awkward atmosphere that decided to begin its decent. "Heh… yeah, same color scheme, I guess…" His blue eyes were hidden behind closed eyes, accompanied by a slightly shaky smile.

Humming the same tune Roxas had been on the street earlier, Axel joined him on the bed, sitting a little ways away. Roxas moved back and leaned against the headboard. "You know… It was only three years ago when I started getting myself those color flowers." The redhead laughed, the sound light as he fell back onto the blonde's bed, arms dangling off of the other end above his head from elbow down.

"Huh, really?" Three years ago was when Roxas redecorated the house with the help of his father. He didn't know whether to be worried by these coincidences or intrigued.

"Yeah, and one year before that I started dropping by the neighborhood again, y'know, for good times sake, I guess." Axel was nodding slightly, shifting to make a sort of pillow out of his arms as he crossed them behind his head. He seemed content with just glancing at the ceiling and Roxas from time to time.

Now that got him curious again. He was one curious kitty, wasn't he? The reason why he was piqued now was that four years ago, in 2009, Roxas moved into this house on his own, getting ready for his college life (actually, he had to finish high school first, but got kicked out by his mother and couldn't contact his father at the time, so used some funds to buy the once-shabby place for a good deal). In other words, one year before he redecorated, and did a much needed overhaul and renovation. And now that he thought about it, one year after Axel passed away, according to his gravestone.

Roxas sat up, off of the headboard, pulling his legs up to sit Indian style and grabbed at his ankles. "I'm the reason why you 'dropped by'?" He cocked his head, much like an inquisitive cat.

Axel nodded again, looking at the blond. "I dunno why exactly, something just woke me up and I'm afraid I'm not going anywhere for a long time," He smiled, rolling over onto his stomach, then pulling his legs up onto the bed as well.

Before Roxas could tell what was going on, the redhead was right there, in his face. His train of thought died right then and there with those amazing emerald eyes. "What're you…"

**A/N**

Disclaimer: Same old, same old.

Well, there's Ch. 3! Much love to all my reviewers.

Very sorry this took so long. I had part of Ch. 3, but I lost it and couldn't find it, so I finally got off my lazy ass and started a new Ch. 3. And I like this one better than the other. -dances-

And yes, I did make sure I got the years and stuff right. Specially regarding the whole school thing through 2009, etc, etc. I dunno when I'll ever explain it, so feel free to ask if you really get confused. :3

Skylur

**end A/N.**


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